Political analysis, art, and humor

obama

Remember in the 2008 election how so many American popular artists denied Republican candidates from using their material? Few artists are willing to mix with the ever-growing meaner Republican messaging. Where are the Republican artists ? On Fox Entertainment. It appears that FOX is coordinating the delegitimizing of Obama through a clever messaging campaign. It is almost a conspiracy. Even actor Tim Roth is totting Republican story lines. Perhaps his agent is not reading the script as FOX conjures forth a singular message of white males to “take individual action” against the system.

Clearly Fox News fans the Limbaugh hate message with O’Reilley, Beck, and the milder Hannity. Then I read British Market chain Waitrose is pulling programming not only from Fox News, but from the entire Fox Network. Less income for shows like “24”, “House”, and “Lie to Me”. Advertisers do not want buyers of their products to see corporate association with the unchecked “art messaging” of the entertainment network. The writers for FOX are now writing stories and constructing dialog, coded at having the individual white male kill individuals of black authority.

To Wit : This week (Oct 5-9 2009) on television.

Article 1: On “House”, a white staff doctor successfully infects and kills a powerful black dictator (masterfully played by James Earl Jones). The doctor has little information to go on yet judges this man’s life and future with handwringing certainty. On ER I don’t know how many times an obvious criminal was saved on the operating table by conflicted doctors who would commiserate with their staff. The Fox style is – no need to consult – just do what you think is right in your prejudiced mind – even if it murder. Kill that great political black leader. You can do it, and your supervisors will look the other way because “you believe it is right” making irrelevant the Hippocratic oath.

Article 2: In the FOX program “Lie To Me” the climax is a large white male (the size an demeanor of Rush Limbaugh) taking the law into his own hands by murdering an attorney who represents the truthful views of his daughter about his love-making with a Black athlete. Usually the script writers show how their miracle Truth squad is able to head this off (they and the audience have all the evidence this will happen), but no – they want the FOX TV viewing audience to be satisfied with a single white man’s justice. The writers’ go on to give the line to the (ignorant?) Tim Roth watching the apprehended murderer of this great attorney loved by Tim’s wife, “He looks at peace”. Rather than the more truthful observation, “How a father’s murder is not of his victim, but of his daughter’s relationship.”

FOX is in the programming business, the airtime and the audience. The artists of Fox are now but an artful distance from their uncivil news agency. Fortunately, the smart advertisers are not willing to subsidize the reach of this messaging.

Remember in the 2008 election how so many American popular artists denied Republican candidates from using their material? Few artists are willing to mix with the ever-growing meaner Republican messaging. Where are the Republican artists ? On Fox Entertainment. It appears that FOX is coordinating the delegitimizing of Obama through a clever messaging campaign. It is almost a conspiracy. Even actor Tim Roth is totting Republican story lines. Perhaps his agent is not reading the script as FOX conjures forth a singular message of white males to “take individual action” against the system.

Clearly FOX News fans the Limbaugh hate flame with O’Reilley, Beck, and the milder Hannity. Then I read British Market chain Waitrose is pulling programming not only from Fox News, but from the entire Fox Network. Less income for shows like “24”, “House”, and “Lie to Me”. I can see why an unchecked Glen Beck is awful, but the shows too? Then I thought about why advertisers do not want buyers of their products to see corporate association with the deep “art messaging” of the network. The writers for FOX are now writing stories and constructing dialog, coded at having the individual white male kill individuals of black authority.

To Wit : This week (Oct 5-9 2009) on television.

Article 1: On “House”, after much ado, a white staff doctor successfully infects and kills a powerful black dictator (masterfully played by James Earl Jones). The doctor, with little information to go on, judges this man’s life and future with handwringing certainty. But most artists don’t lead the audience this way. On ER I don’t know how many times an obvious criminal was saved on the operating table by conflicted doctors who would commiserate with their staff. The Fox style is – no need to consult – just do what you think is right in your prejudiced mind – even a doctor can murder. (but no abortions please). Kill that great political black leader. You can do it, and your supervisors will look the other way because “you believe it is right”. An doctor’s will to power is greater than even the Hippocratic oath.

Article 2: The climax of the FOX program “Lie To Me” is when a barrel-chested white man – the diameter of Rush Limbaugh – shoots dead an attorney who represents the truthful views of the murderer’s daughter about love-making with a Black athlete. Usually a writing staff shows their miracle actors have decoded evil intent and head it off – in the nick of time. Instead they story “satisfies” the FOX TV viewing audience who get to see the white man get even with a system by killing a person who with an internal turmoil rightly defends a black man. The writers can’t stop here, they give a line to the (ignorant?) Tim Roth who watches the apprehended murderer of a great attorney loved by Tim’s wife say only. “He looks at peace” as the police presses the criminal head down into the squad car. The more truthful observation, “He has murdered not only a great law keeper, but his daughter’s relationship. What a monstrous race we have become.”

FOX is certainly in the programming business, of both news and entertainment. Programming used to refer to the blocking of time, but clearly it is about programming the shape of people’s opinions. The artists of Fox should strike to keep their art and dignity like those artists in 2008. Fortunately, the smart advertisers are not willing to subsidize the reach of this kind of messaging. It doesn’t make cents.

How far has Lincoln’s party fallen. From the once famous drive to preserve the Union, the party is now the divider of its countrymen. So many Republican’s today derive status from insistence on one religion, one sexual orientation, and one race. The Unity of the Nation, liberty for all is now the Democratic capstone. Liberty for all, freedom of religion as it once was for those tired of intolerance in 1776.

“With malice towards none and charity toward all”, sounds pretty Barack, but comes from those first Republican lips – Abraham Lincoln. The Lincolnian party would be nice to see again. Rather we see Republicans who want to make a slave of us all. For leadership they shout loudly in anger. For fiscal policy they are the implicit cause of the economic crisis, for peaceful tranquility the demand the unsound and unchecked war. It is as if the Republican leaning backward direction has slowed them to a lost mentality. Gone are their once great causes. What are the causes Republicans should confront in current times? A critical rethink of high level Capitalism, the nature of Governance, and the causless immensity of the military complex.

Change was not enough in the election for Obama. It is not enough because the familiar rude Republican mantle, unthinking and prejudiced has gone louder with the Rush Limbaugh’s and Glen Becks of the media. For civilization to advance on a course first set in 1776, when liberty and freedom were principle, it is almost fact that for modern America to survive it is time to consider the campaign for a Republican-Free America.

Here is the predicted McCain Landslide. My guess 18 hours out? The election will end decisively by 11pm PST. 360 – 178. Obama clearly victorious taking out most Republican Congressional seats. Why? The party never atoned for Bush. Instead the Winking Wonderwoman from Wasilla grandstanded Bush values without apology.

Obama wins through superior organization, sensationally effective use of the Internet, the lack of Presidential support for McCain, a decisive end to the war in Iraq, and standing hard on Barack issues. His superior finance was drawn from the electorate with a risk, but loud message – no lobbyist influence. Barack earned his war chest. McCain drained his from petro-donors and pharma-dollars. Barack thinks as we – enough is Enough!

Here’s the big difference in McCainer and Obamer outcomes. The John winners want to go back to their houses, watch TV and count money. The Barack winners want to play a part in the next government that changes everything. I assume a Barack win, though I continue to call and canvass – not for victory – but to rehearse how to work for this new democracy. The O outcome will give all Americans some global credibility, but this is not a flag raising, but a freedom ringing era. It is not one party wins all, it is all of us as party to a new American democracy. Witness the NYT writing straight out on baseball stats and Health care. The parts to play are many that the new President must summon – erasing the war from the balance sheet, founding national economic principle, starting the energy revolution, monitoring the world environment, and healing the method actors of national outrage.